![Solving Internet Problems While Working from Home](/media/2752/no-internet-connection_sm.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=1024&height=512&rnd=133186177280000000)
If your home is anything like mine these days, things are much different during the working day. The entire family has laid claim to different parts of the house. My wife has claimed the office, one daughter is taking her college classes remotely from the kitchen table, another daughter is taking her college classes from the Recreation Room and I am relegated to an unfinished part of the basement.
All four of us are using our internet connection simultaneously as well. This can cause performance issues, as you may uncover. What can be done, you ask?
There will be additional load on your home network when you are working from home. This will increase if you share your home network with others (e.g., family members).
Generally speaking, the following activities use a lot of bandwidth (and can therefore slow your internet connection down):
- Streaming video, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube
- Streaming audio, such as from Spotify, YouTube and other channels
- On-line video gaming
- Downloading large files including attachments to emails
Here are some suggestions to minimize performance challenges:
- Close email when you are on conference calls
- Schedule downloads of video content overnight for the next day (most video players now let you do this on mobile devices/video game consoles)
- Play video games offline
- Where possible, set security updates to run overnight
- Where possible, do not stream video or audio during the day (e.g., Netflix, Amazon Prime and YouTube)
- When using Teams, Skype or other video conferencing platforms, if you experience audio or video issues, stop using video on the call
- Reboot your modem and/or WiFi router if you are experiencing issues
- Disconnect from your company's VPN if you do not need it
With a little bit of ingenuity, you can overcome internet issues at home during these challenging times.
On behalf of NDC Technologies, we hope you and your families stay safe and healthy. Let us know if we can be of any assistance.